Rockford area in prep for flu season

ROCKFORD — Health officials are doing more outreach and education about flu shots this year to get more people vaccinated.

The response comes in part because the 2012-13 flu season hit hard and early. The Winnebago County Health Department started its annual flu vaccination clinics this month, and those will continue through November.

A massive effort to vaccinate people who are uninsured or who can’t afford flu shots blanketed Boone, Whiteside and Winnebago counties on Thursday. Officials haven’t tallied how many people were vaccinated, but they are happy with the turnout.

“It’s always our goal to try to vaccinate as many people as possible,” said Debbie Green, health promotions charge nurse for the Winnebago County Health Department. “Children are in those close surroundings in school, so they can bring home influenza. Then that can go through families. Then you have the older population with high risk factors. It runs the entire gamut of the population.”

The flu season can start as early as October, but typically peaks in January or February. Last year, the flu hit hard in December. Influenza-like illness remained elevated for 15 weeks, making the season slightly longer than average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC also reported that the last flu season saw the highest proportion of people ages 65 and older hospitalized for flu since the 2005-06 season. They accounted for 50 percent of all reported hospitalizations.

The flu shot is recommended for anyone 6 months and older, but especially for young children, pregnant women, people who care for children younger than 6 months of age, people with chronic medical conditions, health care workers and people 65 and older.

Health care experts say it’s important to get a flu shot each year because flu viruses change, and the vaccine is updated each season to protect against the most recent and most commonly circulating viruses.

Three types of flu shots are available at the clinics: the regular flu shot approved for ages 6 months and older, a high-dose flu shot approved for ages 65 and older, and an intradermal (uses a smaller needle and goes in the skin rather than the muscle) flu shot for 18- to 64-year-olds.

The 2013-14 flu vaccine protects against the A H3N2, A H1N1 and influenza B viruses. The viruses in the flu shot are dead, so people can’t get the flu from the vaccination.

It typically takes two weeks for your body to develop antibodies to fight off infection after getting the flu shot. A limited supply of a new flu vaccine with two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains is available locally for people 3 and older.

Flu shots range in price from $25 to $45 through the Health Department.

Expect to also hear the “three C’s” reinforced this flu season: clean your hands, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and contain your germs (stay home if you’re sick).